Three Italian organisations have recently signed an agreement with the goal of promoting equality within the fashion industry. The Italian Fashion Council (Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, CNMI), nonprofit African Fashion Gate (AFG), and the Italian government's anti-discrimination agency (Ufficio Nazionale Antidiscriminazioni Razziali della Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri, UNAR) have come together to address the need for increased efforts in detecting, identifying, and combating discrimination.
The initiative kicks off with a comprehensive survey aimed at capturing the experiences of women, people of colour, and other underrepresented groups within the industry. Both fashion brands and retailers will undergo scrutiny as part of this process. The announcement was made during a conference at the Fashion Hub (Sala Parlamentino) in Palazzo Giureconsulti on the Tuesday of Milan Fashion Week.
Notably, fashion blogger Tamu McPherson has been appointed as the chair of Diversity and Inclusion at CNMI. CNMI President Carlo Capasa expressed his hope of sharing the initiative's results within a year. Capasa acknowledged the complexity of the discrimination issue, emphasizing that while their association may not single-handedly solve the problem, they aim to make a meaningful contribution. He highlighted the importance of government involvement in addressing these challenges.
Capasa revealed that previous attempts by CNMI to combat discrimination in the fashion industry were hindered by privacy restrictions. However, with the new research initiative, he aims to overcome these obstacles. The Italian fashion industry has faced scrutiny following the Black Lives Matter movement in July 2020, particularly regarding the lack of diversity in leadership positions.
This collaborative effort underscores a commitment to fostering inclusivity and equality within the fashion sector. By joining forces, these organisations are taking proactive steps towards creating a more diverse and equitable industry landscape.
